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Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack (B77)
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 6 Be3 Bg7
7 f3 O-O 8 Qd2 Nc6 9 Bc4

Number of games in database: 2235
Years covered: 1895 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 43.8%
   Black wins 28.3%
   Draws 27.9%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Emanuel Berg  14 games
Thomas Ernst  11 games
Milan Matulovic  11 games
Mikhail Golubev  31 games
Tony Miles  23 games
Donald Byrne  22 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1974
Fischer vs Larsen, 1958
Tal vs R Forbis, 1988
Anand vs Kasparov, 1995
Ljubojevic vs Miles, 1980
H Ottevaere vs K Falleyn, 1973
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 page 1 of 90; games 1-25 of 2,235  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Taubenhaus vs A Vazquez  1-0401895Taubenhaus - Vazquez 1894/95B77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
2. G Marco vs M Weiss  ½-½371895Vienna Chess Society MastersB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
3. T Gerbec vs Colle  0-1151922Gerbec - ColleB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
4. Smyslov vs I Rabinovich  ½-½311939Leningrad / Moscow trainingB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
5. I Pogrebissky vs V Chekhover  0-1591939USSR ChampionshipB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
6. Levenfish vs I Kan ½-½411939USSR ChampionshipB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
7. Y Polyak vs S Kotlerman  ½-½351939Ukrainian ChampionshipB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
8. A Medina Garcia vs J Alonso Leira  1-0411943MadridB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
9. P Tautvaisas vs A Liepnieks  ½-½411946Meerbeck Displaced Persons itB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
10. Bronstein vs W Winter 0-1271946Great Britain - Soviet Union Radio MatchB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
11. P Tautvaisas vs F Krautheim  1-0291946AugsburgB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
12. F Surmann vs G Menke 1-0311947LueneburgB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
13. R Teschner vs K Richter  1-0351948Berlin-ch playoffB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
14. O Troianescu vs J Podgorny  0-1361948Karlovy Vary / Marianske LazneB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
15. Suetin vs G Ilivitsky 0-1431950URSB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
16. V Soloviev vs V Zak  0-1301952URS-ch sf SochiB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
17. A C Ludwig vs R Klugman  ½-½31195253rd US OpenB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
18. S Vukovic vs P Trifunovic  ½-½201952Yugoslav ChampionshipB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
19. Panov vs Suetin  ½-½241953URS-ch sf VilniusB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
20. E Bolshakov vs Gufeld  ½-½211954Ukrainian ChampionshipB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
21. L Remlinger vs Reshevsky  0-1271954Simul Reshevsky clockB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
22. R G Wade vs S Burstein  1-0181954Munich ZonalB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
23. A Khenkin vs A Cherepkov  0-14119542nd Soviet Team CupB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
24. E Paoli vs O Morcken  1-0371954Amsterdam Olympiad Final-BB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
25. Vasiukov vs Averbakh  1-0341955URS-ch sf MoscowB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
 page 1 of 90; games 1-25 of 2,235  PGN Download
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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Feb-12-04  Benjamin Lau: Nice job Shadout, Yugoslav 0 - Dragon 1 ;-)
Feb-12-04  zion: <11.b3? this is probably the losing move already, leaving the bishop on the c file and fatally weakening the dark squares around the computer's king, as well as c3> yip, after b3 everything just goes downhill for white
Feb-12-04  actual: I have abandoned the Dragon in favor of studying the Sveshnikov.
Feb-12-04  zion: im starting to study the Kan as it seems more reliable than the dragon, I will still keep playing the dragon though
Feb-12-04  zorro: Dragon player, you like fianchettoing your bishop but White play 2. c3? What's the problem, fianchetto it! 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3. ed5 Qxd5 4. d4 g6. Here's the line: Opening Explorer
Mar-27-04  SicilianDragon: I would not be so quick to advise ...g6 against the c3 sicilian, because while it is fairly solid, 5. Na3!? has been causing some serious problems for black.

Since ShadoutMapes posted his game, I figured I may as well post mine where, though it pained me, I got to slaugter the Dragon (the fact that the player I played was 400 pts. higher-rated didn't hurt either!!)

Stern,Mitchell (1392) - Gordon,Daniel (1797) [B79]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0–0 8.Bb3 d6 9.f3 Bd7 10.Qd2 Qa5 11.0–0–0 Rfc8 12.g4 Ne5 13.h4 Rab8 14.h5 b5 15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Bh6 Bh8 17.Bf8 Rxf8 18.Rxh8+ Kxh8 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20.Rh1 Nh5 21.gxh5 Rfc8 22.hxg6 Nxg6 23.Qxg6+ 1-0

Mar-30-04  ruylopez900: The Dragon leads to some exciting, counter attacking games, especially if it is responded by the Yugoslav Attack.
Mar-30-04  refutor: <stavrogin><who would you consider the greatest Dragonplayer of all times? > you've got to have genna sosonko up there...he really advanced dragon theory in the 70s
Mar-30-04  SicilianDragon: I don't think there is any one player. Tony Miles played it early in his career, but "wimped out" later and began playing other stuff. William Watson also played this extensively, as did/does Chris Ward (all from England). Sosonko was also a big Dragon player, in addition to Boris Alterman and Sergei Tiviakov.
Mar-31-04  ruylopez900: its too bad its not played more often at the super gm level today...
Apr-01-04  SicilianDragon: If you had to make your living by playing chess, would you play such a crazy opening?
Apr-01-04  Giancarlo: <SicilianDragon>
Intresting u ask that question, seeing your name. Persoanlly I like the opening, I've played it many times and I like the Finachetto as black. That's what I think.

By the way what is the major weakness in this opening?

Apr-01-04  SicilianDragon: I didn't say it was a bad opening, it is simply that the Yugoslav Attack is one of the sharpest variations of any opening and that a Grandmaster may not exactly want to always engage in such an explosive opening where he can lose quickly if he does not respond accurately if his opponent plays a novelty.

If there is a weakness to this opening, it is that Black is essentially in a race against time because even if he spends the entire game defending his kingside, he cannot really hope to prevent some kind of breakthrough by white on the kingside in the Yugoslav Attack and so black cannot waste time in the opening to if he does not play very accurate moves, he can lose quickly.

Apr-02-04  ruylopez900: <Sicilian Dragon> As Black I would definitely seek out the Dragon and hope for the Yugoslav Attack. It gives nice chances for a Queen side attack and, as mentioned already, Black gets a powerful fianchetto-ed Bishop. You are right though, as White I may prefer the Classical Defence (or Attack? Be2 instead of Be3) depending on the situation.
Apr-08-04  SicilianDragon: You misunderstand me. Honestly, unless you think you are a horrible tactician (in which case why would you play 1. e4?) then it doesn't make sense to play anything but the Yugoslav Attack against the Dragon. The Classical really doesn't offer White too many attacking chances. What I meant was that a Grandmaster may not want to play the Dragon because he would constantly have to face the ultra-sharp Yugoslav Attack. Without a doubt, the Yugoslav Attack is much more dangerous for black than it is for white. The Classical Variation (certainly not attack) is a quieter way of facing the Dragon and although it is less risky, it doesn't as directly seek to exploit the weaknesses (if there are any) in black's position.
Aug-24-04  Tunega Frantisek: Interes 1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5Qxd5 4.d4cxd4 5.cxd4Nc6 6.Nf3Bg4?? 7.Nc3! Bxf3? 8.gxf3Qxd4 9.Qxd4 Nxd4 10.Nb5!! Nc2+ 11.Kd1 Nxa1 12.Nc7+Kd8 13.Bh3!!(h3-c8!! Bc1-f4-Na8-c7,Kd1-d2 Rh1-a1!!) Tunega CZ
Aug-24-04  BiLL RobeRTiE: the heck?
Aug-24-04  OneArmedScissor: I just played the Dragon Sicilian in 3 games on chessanytime.com and won all 3!

Gotta love the exchange sacrafice on c3 =]

Aug-24-04  iron maiden: <OneArmedScissor>, what's your handle on chessanytime?
Aug-24-04  OneArmedScissor: <Iron Maiden>
OneArmedScissor is my handle on both chessanytime.com and chessgames.com

I'm playing some guy from my college on here though... he really sucks... I've beat him 10 times in a row with the Scholar's Mate.

Aug-25-04  Lawrence: Maybe he's trying to set a new record.
Aug-25-04  OneArmedScissor: Is anyone interested in playing a few Dragon/Yugoslav Attack games on www.chessanytime.com?

OneArmedScissor is my username on there... I've been playing crappy lately though :-\

Jul-12-05  farrooj: This is such a difficlt opening, the percentage of white wins is very high. Does this mean that it's refuted?
Jul-12-05  aw1988: Not at all, but white does get many- well, almost lethal judging by their strength; attacks, but black can defend and get a good game if white isn't careful. Not refuted, but extremely difficult to defend; one simply must know the theory.
Jul-12-05  CGreene: If you like the black side of this, I highly recommend examining Larsen's variation of the Philidor (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 ed 4. Nd4 g6) which can lead to similar positions, just as sharp (many times, sharper) and with a lot less theory.

You can pretty much be sure that the only white players that play mainline Yugoslav...KNOW mainline Yugoslav...so it comes just a battle of which player knows the latest theory. Not so with Larsen's variation, since for many it will be their first time there.

Lastly, I would add that so white many players AVOID mainline Dragons, just so they don't have to be concerned with latest improvements. So for the Dragon specialist, it can be frustrating because he could spend 80% of his time studying the Yugoslav Attack, but only get to play it 10% of the time.

Larsen has several games on here, so you can see it in action. The other nice thing is most of the recent Philidor revival is not on the Larsen variation, but rather the Modern Hanham (...Be7)

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